Finnish National Pride in an Open Society

Posted on:June 1st, 2009byNick Vertigans

I was reminded recently of the old anecdote about Finnish national self consciousness:

A German, a Frenchman, a Russian, and a Finn took part in a writing competition about elephants. The German came up with A Short Introduction to the Physiology of the Elephant (1,500 pages, plus appendices). The French entry was The Love Life of the Elephant. The Russian wrote Elephants in Russia, and the Finn wrote What do Elephants Think of Me?

The Finns really do care about what you think of them.

Last summer I moved from London to Helsinki for a ‘cooler’ change of scenery. This change has given me a different perspective on the country I left behind and an insider’s view of Finland. One of the notable adjustments I have had to make in my new home country is that of living in a nation that spends considerable time pondering what the rest of the world thinks of it. Speaking to my Finnish partner this week she considered the topic and summarised thus, ‘Maybe we (the Finns) do worry what they (the rest of the world) think of us. And maybe we areclumsy communicators, lack confidence and are pre-programmed with a degree of national self doubt.’

Street View

I was talking to a waiter in a Helsinki café this week. He was amazed that I lived in Finland. Partly in disbelief, and partly out of interest, he asked me, ‘How did you hear about us?’ – An amusing turn of phrase which made me feel as if he was interviewing me for a job in the café. In truth he was amazed that someone from London would move to Helsinki. He waxed lyrical about London’s rich history, its reputation as one of the world’s leading financial hubs (until recently) and, even more importantly, the 13 professional football teams based in London. He mentioned The Beatles as well, but I didn’t want to correct him because I’m English and we generally don’t do that unless we absolutely have to.

In truth, Helsinki offers everything you would expect from a great city apart from a 150 year old metro system and a highly respected royal family. Still, the Finns remain surprisingly reticent about the merits of their capital and country.

Google Street View

For a more modern perspective, consider Google’s recent innovation Street View. The controversial mapping service provides a 360-degree view of streets and buildings including residential addresses, people and cars. Since it was launched two years ago people have complained in their thousands that their privacy and civil rights have been breached.

Take the two men who got caught out just after the UK launch. In one incriminating shot a man was seen exiting a Soho sex shop and another shot included a man vomiting outside a pub. Both images had to be removed from the application soon after the launch following strong complaints from the gentlemen in question.

The Finn’s view

It was interesting to note Finland’s reaction to Street View. As the western world raged against breaches of civil rights and privacy, the Finns were more concerned with Google’s timing to drop by with their cameras in early spring. There were widespread concerns that during this period of transition Finland would not create the right impression (trees without leaves, melting and muddied snow and the sun would be somewhere else, of course). ‘What will the world think of us!’ the Finns cried. Finland’s number one broadsheet Helsingin Sanomat highlighted the view of many Finns stating that the primary concern was to create the right impression, and hoped that the pictures ‘came out alright’.

The Brits on the other hand are more concerned with what they can edit so they don’t get caught out doing things they shouldn’t. There is an interesting juxtaposition as Britain’s leading politicians currently face their own challenges around declaring and editing the truth.

Transparency and Openness

So there we are, the Finns are committed to openness and honesty, whilst lacking self assurance about their country. I wonder if this is a consequence of being ‘up front’?

The Brits, in contrast, appear to be able to cover things up and still remain proud of their nation.

Keeping to the rules is hard and places a lot of emphasis on order. Finland enjoys a surprisingly transparent political process which most European countries would not believe.

Secretary General of The Finnish Parliament, Seppo Tiitinen, delivered a short speech two weeks ago. He spoke of parliament’s open policy towards the media and the public in Finland and asserted, ‘the best safeguard against corruption is openness’.

Is everyone else just hiding behind their national pride?

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Nick Vertigans

Nick Vertigans

Currently living in Finland, Nick Vertigans hails from England and has 12 years’ experience working for Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg and Eurostar.
At Thomson Reuters he worked as lead consultant for their customer service operation in EMEA, and helped develop a winning customer service model by sharpening people’s communication skills and self-awareness.
A European Business Studies degree, including a year in Nice, sparked his interest in cross-cultural communication and he has been active in this field ever since. Combining his experience in management, finance and customer service, Nick enjoys working as a professional coach and trainer, supporting clients to help them realise their business ambition and personal growth.
He is now the principal trainer and coach at Richard Lewis Communications’ partner in Helsinki, Ajan Consulting.